I recently heard something which reminded me of Douglas Rushkoff’s 2011 warning “You are Facebook’s product, not customer” It shocked me into realising just how easily I have accepted the daily drip feed of news, fake news, even fatuous news that arrives via my PC, smartphone and tablet. Whilst I pride myself in being able to …

The summer is over and darker nights are here, bringing with them the usual range of TV shows where celebrities and wannabes hone their aspiring talents in dancing, singing or even business skills for our entertainment. Enjoyable though these shows are, I am more interested in the year-round activity of encouraging and supporting talented people …

The oft repeated leadership adage is that good leaders appoint people who are better than themselves and then get out of their way. It is something I have tried to do in every leadership position I have had; surround myself with people who are really, really good at doing their thing and letting them do …

IN the last 24 hours, twitter has been alive with head-in-hands memes and GIFs of people rolling their eyes. Why? Because the DfE have confirmed their intention to spend a relatively small amount of money deploying a growing group of specialist advisors into schools facing financial difficulty. A number of leading commentators have suggested that …

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By now you may have heard that I have taken on the role of Chair of the Institute of School Business Leadership. For the next 12 months, I will be steering the work of the board and working to build on the reputation ISBL enjoys with our partners, stakeholders and the wider sector. I am …

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I attended my first researchED event yesterday when ResearchED Brum 2018 took place at Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School. It was the first time the movement/community, for that is how it styles itself, had come to Birmingham and it provided the perfect opportunity to put a toe in the water. I wasn’t sure how welcoming the …

A survey I undertook into the interaction between school business leaders and their governing body has shed light on how few SBLs work with their governors to monitor standards and outcomes for pupils. Worryingly, a significant number of SBLs reported ‘irregular practices’ in their school or academy trust ranging from concealing bad news from governors …

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I read two things yesterday that both moved me to respond to them – but they contained such different views that the only place I could start was Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities and it’s famous opening lines: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age …

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Much has been written about how the academisation of schools is ‘privatising education’ Every couple of weeks, the TES and Schools Week seem to feature a story where connected party transactions or CEO wage inflation are causing concern. However, there are also good examples of where the structural change of academisation has prompted a root and branch review …

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A brief leadership story drawn from the 1996 Everest Disaster Stephen Morales wanted to use lessons from a disastrous climbing expedition in 1996 to illustrate the perils of pressing on too high, too far, too soon as NASBM transitioned to institute status. He was unable to deliver the presentation to conference as planned on the 16th November 2017 and …